The present invention relates generally to the field of candlemaking and in particular to a candle that has a greater concentration of hydrogenated vegetable oil than paraffin wax, where the hydrogenated vegetable oil contains no more than 0.15% free fatty acid and a remaining portion of trigylcerides, while the paraffin wax may be a combination of more than one type of wax with varying melting points.
Many prior patents disclose candle compositions intended to burn more cleanly or longer having various components. Some patents teach using vegetable oils in the candle composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,659 discloses a homogenous, solid, and self-sustaining candle formed of 50% or more of a hydrogenated vegetable oil, preferably rape-seed oil, and a wax including paraffin wax, stearic acid and beeswax. One embodiment disclosed in the patent has 49% wax and 51% hydrogenated vegetable oil. The U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,659 patent teaches that the candle may be made of other types of hydrogenated vegetable oils besides rape-seed oil, provided the oil comprises 50% or more of the composition. But, the use of vegetable oils with less than naturally occurring amounts of free fatty acids is not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,958,462 teaches that candles can be made from vegetable oils combined with beeswax. The candle composition has 20% by weight pure beeswax and up to 80% of a hydrogenated vegetable oil. U.S. Pat. No. 1,958,462 specifically discloses that soy, cottonseed, rape-seed, and olive oil may be used to make the candle. These oils are non-drying or semi-drying, and absorb less iodine than vegetable fats and drying vegetable oils. That is, non-drying and semi-drying oils inherently have a lower iodine value than vegetable fats and drying vegetable oils. These exemplary oils are preferred because they have low iodine values. But, using oils with reduced concentrations of free fatty acids is not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,159,218 teaches an opaque wax comprising a mixture of paraffin wax with a melting point ranging from 120-160xc2x0 F. and 0.5 to 5% of a hydrogenated fat or vegetable oil. Cottonseed oil is specified as a preferred vegetable oil for the composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,959,164 discloses a candle composition formed from vaporizable and combustible materials such as wax or paraffin. An exemplary embodiment focuses on the inclusion of a synthetic organic resinous coating for improving burning qualities and preventing candle drip but does not include hydrogenated vegetables in the candle composition.
Other patents describe candles containing a mixture of paraffin wax grades having varying melting points. A low melting paraffin wax candle containing as a major constituent a paraffin wax that has a melting point between 110-125xc2x0 F. and as a minor constituent a crystalline paraffin wax with a melting point between 145-160xc2x0 F. is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,635. The disclosed composition also contains about 2% by weight oil and is claimed to have oil retention properties up to about 2.5% by weight of oil. Accordingly, the candle burns cleaner without leaving residue on the walls of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,046,101 discloses a fatty acid combined with a wax composition containing 3 wax components, each with spaced apart melting point ranges to improve burning qualities. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises 3-30% by volume stearic acid, 70-97% by volume wax composition consisting of 45-55% paraffin wax with a melting point of 125-132xc2x0 F., 32-42% paraffin wax with a melting point of 130-136xc2x0 F., and 10-16% paraffin wax with a melting point of 149-155xc2x0 F. This composition stiffens the finished candle and prevents the candle from softening at temperatures that are lower than the melting point of the composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,921 discloses a wax composition comprising 60-95% by weight of a low melting wax having a melting point in the range of 125-135xc2x0 F. and 5-40% by weight of the high melting wax having a melting point, preferably from 150-170xc2x0 F.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,270 teaches a composition consisting of an outer shell, an inner core, and a wick, wherein the shell comprises a paraffin wax, or other grade of wax, or combination thereof with a melting point in the range of 131-145xc2x0 F. and the core comprises a fragrance oil and a low melting wax with a melting point in the range of 110-125xc2x0 F.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,098 discloses a candle composition comprising one mixture of 10-90% by weight a semi-refined paraffin wax with a melting point in the range of 120-125xc2x0 F. and 2% oil, a second mixture of 10-90% by weight fully-refined paraffin wax with a melting point in the range of 125-130xc2x0 F. and 0.2% oil, and a polymer such as Vybar 260.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,329 claims a candle composition having butter oil added to a solidified oil and mixed in a ratio of between 5:3 to 3:5 to form a wax-like state of fat which can be used as a candle material. The butter oil is composed of 50-58% palm oil, 30-35% coconut oil, 5-8% soybean oil, 5-8% cottonseed oil and a hydrogenate of palm oil. The solidified oil may contain at least 80-90% palm oil and 10-20% soybean oil. Paraffin is not disclosed for use in this composition.
A candle composition comprising 5-40% paraffin wax, 5-10% candle scent, 0.25-1% binding agent, 50-90% soybean oil, and 1-5 drops of liquid dye is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,918. A preferred embodiment suggests a composition comprising 16.75% paraffin wax with a melting point of 125xc2x0 F., 8% candle scent, 0.25% binding agent, 75% soybean oil, and 1-5 drops of liquid dye. However, this composition only uses one grade of paraffin wax.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,284,007 teaches a vegetable oil and paraffin wax candle having from 1-99% free fatty acids and 1-99% triglycerides making up the vegetable oil. The vegetable oil portion comprises more of the candle composition than the paraffin wax. Different melting point waxes can be used in the candle.
U.S. patent application publication U.S. 2001/0013195 A1, published Aug. 16, 2001, discloses a candle composition comprising a low melting point and a high melting point paraffin wax and a vegetable lipid composed of triglycerides, or a mixture of free fatty acids and triglycerides. The published application is a continuation application of U.S. Pat. No. 6,284,007. The patent application publication discloses several preferred fatty acid components including palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, behenic acid and arichidic acid, all of which are saturated or monounsaturated. The vegetable lipid component is preferably present in the composition in greater concentration by weight than the paraffin wax mixture. One preferred embodiment comprises 51% by weight a vegetable lipid component derived from a single fatty acid or mixture of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and a paraffin wax mixture containing a medium paraffin wax with a melting point range of 122-149xc2x0 F. and a micro paraffin wax with a melting point range of 167-185xc2x0 F.
A common convention in candle compositions is the use of candle wax, a material having certain favorable characteristics such as phase stability at room temperature, water repellence, smooth texture, hydrocarbon structure, low odor, combustibility, and low reactivity. Although wax may be derived from various sources such as animal fat and plants, wax is derived most commonly in the candle industry from petroleum in the form of paraffin wax. It comes in various grades and melting points, and is predominantly comprised of fully saturated long chain hydrocarbons. Even though paraffin wax is ideal in the candle industry for economic reasons, it is not considered to be healthy because it is a petroleum by-product documented to have toxins, black soot and even carcinogens. Vegetable oils are often looked to as preferred substitutes for the unhealthy paraffin wax used in candles because they are derived from plants, are non-toxic, do not produce soot, and are 100% biodegradable.
Also, vegetable oils have chemically active carbonxe2x80x94carbon double bonds and oxygen atoms which are likely to react with each other through hydrogen bonding. Hydrogenated vegetable oils are unsaturated fatty acids which have been saturated with hydrogen molecules. The hydrogen bonding entangles the molecules, thereby inhibiting the movement and flow of the molecules and resulting in a viscous type of material. The resulting viscous oils burn longer in candles than free-flowing materials like pure molten paraffin due to slow capillary action in the wick, which makes them good substitutes for hydrocarbon fuels. Accordingly, a candle composition having a greater amount of hydrogenated vegetable oil than paraffin wax results in a candle with novel burning characteristics such as improved viscosity, consumption, burn rate, and reduction in soot, while being healthier for the average consumer.
Finally, most compositions with candle wax such as paraffin wax and beeswax burn uniformly thereby burning the aromatic fragrance oils as quickly as the wax. According to the present invention, the combination of a low melting point wax/high melting point wax mixture and a particular hydrogenated vegetable oil mixture having almost no free fatty acids, preserves the burning of the fragrance oil, while also forming crystallization circles within the composition.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a healthier candle having a greater amount of hydrogenated vegetable oil than paraffin wax.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a candle having hydrogenated vegetable oil that contains no more than 0.15% free fatty acid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a candle having novel burning and fragrance characteristics.
Accordingly, a candle composition is provided having a high melting point paraffin wax, a low melting point paraffin wax, and a hydrogenated vegetable oil mixture that exists in a greater amount than the mixture of the varying grades of paraffin wax, and contains no more than 0.15% free fatty acid with the remainder being triglycerides.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.